[EKUAlum05]

If what you're saying ends up the case and Belfry NEEDS to pass to break open its running game in this one, Wayne Co. will win going away.

EVERYTHING Belfry does offensively is built from forcing a defense to pack it in between the tackles. If the Pirates can't consistantly get 4 yds a pop inside vs. a 5-2/4-3/4-4 defense alignment playing gap assignment, the offense will struggle. Belfry breaks big plays running outside or throwing downfield when DEs and OLBs begin cheating inside (losing gap discipline) and the safety(s) creep too close to the LOS.

It's funny when people think defenses are "stacking the box" against Belfry, when it's usually Belfry's offensive formation that causes the defense to look that way. The Pirates use a LOT of single wideout with 2-3 RB sets. These closed-formation sets guarantee the weakside corner and one safety are playing closer to the middle of the LOS.

Good post as always, but with respect Friday Belfry's use of the pass was major factor in opening up the middle.

Bourbon was very effective up the middle and gave a few intricacies to their defense I am not sure I had seen implemented (well successfully at least) against Belfry previously. Bourbon was doing a great job against both the interior run and the option. The adjustment that was made was to use the toss sweep and the bubble screen to Taylor. Belfry successfully used the bubble screen 3 times in the 1st Half and picked up a handful of nice chunks on the toss sweep and suddenly the inside began opening up in a big way. In the 2nd Half Bourbon made adjustments to counter those plays.. then the Counter/ISO/ and option opened up.

The pass was very instrumental Friday... but that doesn't happen very often